The Reign of Terror and Anarchy Under the cover of State of Emergency by the Ethiopian government must stop
OLF Press release – November 22, 2021
The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) is condemning the illicit State of Emergency (SoE) as it is deliberately declared and implemented to increase political pain against opposition groups and to intensify heinous crimes against civilians. The Ethiopian State of emergencies are mainly designed to create state of terror to the citizens. Likewise, the state of emergency declared on November 02, 2021 is intended to dismantle the structure of the legal political opponents using brutal atrocities not only against the members and supporters but also extending it to their family members. This is a deliberate act to further damage the society and to rule people in destitution. Since the OLF and the Oromo people are the main targets of the SoE, thus independent Oromo institutions and individuals that have different views than the property party (PP) are subjects to be destroyed.
The ongoing SoE is the most brutal and intended to inflict maximum damage to the citizens on all aspects of their lives including curtailing political views, weakening economically, morally, and psychologically. The packages of this SoE are solely to harass political opposition members and supporters as well as their family members without any limit. The armed forces are permitted to enter anybody’s house at any time and do whatever they want. This includes attacking and terrorizing family members including children, women and elderly; looting personal properties; arresting and taking any able body to the military training camp for the current war.
Some of the shocking actions taken by the Abiy Ahmed’s armed agents was the burning of Mr. Dawud Ibsa, OLF Chairman’s deceased mother’s house in his birthplace in Abuna, Horro Guduru, East Oromia. It’s pity and shame that the people who claim themselves ruling the country do such debilitating and immoral activities just because the house was where Mr. Ibsa was born and brought up. In addition, the government agents threatened to dismantle the grave of Mr. Dawud Ibsa’s mother who recently passed away. This intentional act of terror that induce psychological harm and punishment to the family members of political opposition leaders is unacceptable in any legal or moral standard. It is unbearable and inhumane act that the ruling group duel itself on such senseless activities to collapse the citizens’ moral using its armed forces. Similarly, Abiy Ahmed’s armed forces have invaded the resident of Mr. Dawit Abdeta’s family, OLF political prisoner, who had been released three times by the court order but kept in jail by Abiy’s unlawful decision and he is languishing in prison. They imprisoned the whole family residing in Maqii District and harmed the entire family.
Currently we observe massive arrests and re-arrests of OLF members and supporters who had been in prison for months and years without any crime apart from being members and supporters of OLF. Few recent examples are the re-arrest of Mr. Mesfin Ettannaa, Dachasa Wirtu, Bikila Abashoma and many others. There are also many more arrests and re-arrested of OLF personnel and their families in different parts of Oromia. The worst atrocities however are taking prisoners out of jail and killing some of them in front of the public. Abiy’s armed forces are taking out people from the prison and killing and throwing their bodies in the jungle frequently. The recent example is the killing of 60 years old man from Salale, central Oromia who have been taken out of prison and killed. It is difficult to comprehend the level of killings of prisoners in Oromia. It has become normal daily practice for Abiy’s armed forces to take individuals from a prison and shooting and throwing their bodies. In this cruelty not only lives of innocent people are easily squandered but also the psychological damage and trauma of family members is immense. In some situations, the families don’t have a chance to bury the bodies of their loved ones. It is massive damage to the families of victims to hear or see that bodies of their family members are eaten by wild animals.
In addition, under the cover of state of emergency the search and looting on civilians and civilian properties are going on in wider scale across Oromia and in particular in Finfinne. This includes entering individuals houses any time and searching and confiscating properties and personal belongings; stopping in the road and searching individuals’ pockets and looting money, valuables and whatever they find.
In general, it is clearly visible that the current state of emergency has dual purpose. First, to destroy political opposition members, supporters, and their families; and to further weaken any kind of political opposition, and to assure the survival of unitary dictatorial rule. Second, to weaken opposition and citizens who oppose Prosperity Party economically by looting individual properties.
Therefore:
1. We strongly denounce this illicit state of emergency and outrageous act of the Government of Abiy and urge to stop these multifaced damage to the Oromo people, Oromia citizens and the Ethiopian oppressed peoples at large.
2. We remind the Oromo people and Oromia citizens to confront the Unitary Prosperity Parity’s actions under Abiy’s leadership that use SoE, among others, to create unimaginable sufferings affecting all aspects of your life. So, we call you to stand against in unison.
3. We also call all the peoples of Ethiopia to denounce the government’s evil act of civilian harassment under the disguise of State of emergency as these acts intensify conflicts among peoples and create more division and disintegration. Instead, we advise Ethiopian peoples to focus on peaceful way of re-establishing Federal Republic Governance involving multi-nation societies and work together for peace and stability and organize free and fair election that reflect the long aspirations of Ethiopian peoples.
4. We urge the international communities to seek for all-inclusive genuine negotiation to solve multifaceted crisis in Ethiopia. The OLF believe that the people’s aspiration must be addressed through all-embracing peace initiatives. The Oromo people whose tradition is democracy believe that lasting peace and democracy comes out of the willful peace negotiation of all stakeholders.
Victory to the Masses! Oromo Liberation Front November 22, 2021
Finfinnee